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He relearned to walk in second grade after surgery on both hips, and again in high school after another leg surgery in high school that forced him to recover in a wheelchair and then use a walker. The surgeries were the long-term effects of cerebral palsy, a disease which affects movement, muscle control and motor skills. He was diagnosed when he was 6 months old.

“He was so determined that he was going to get out there and play with those other kids,” said his mom, Kimberly Chapman.

Matt, who turned 18 last month, said that meant putting plastic bags over his leg casts and starting his dirt bike with his hand, so he didn’t miss out on time with friends in high school.

“Mom wasn’t too happy” about that, he said with a laugh.

The recent Western Wayne High School graduate applied the same determination to his path after graduation.

The oldest of four, Matt thought the military would be a way to help pay for college. His grandfather retired as a major from the Army. Other uncles and cousins are also in the armed forces, but cerebral palsy meant he would never wear the uniform.

Mrs. Chapman said it was disappointing, but she encouraged her son to set new goals.

She told him, “You’re good at everything. Anything you can put your mind to, you can do it.”

The tightknit Chapman family lives in South Canaan Twp. in Wayne County, and Matt grew up toddling after his father, tinkering on projects in the garage until he was old enough to take on his own. For his senior project, he restored a 1952 Farmall Super C tractor.

He drove it to school for his presentation.

It was a natural fit that he pursue an automotive career. He checked out a few schools, but Universal Technical Institute stuck with him.

As soon as he graduated, he took on a full-time job, working with a construction company in Daleville.

“My parents always raised me that if you wanted something extra, you can work for it,” Matt said. “You appreciate it more. This college step was a big one. I’ve been saving every penny that I can and signing up for scholarships and just trying to get there.”

He’ll start school in the fall and he hopes to do so with a scholarship through the mike­roweWORKS Foundation. Mike Rowe, of the Discovery Channel television show “Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe,” partnered with UTI to offer up to 33 scholarships to incoming students across the country.

Matt had to submit a video explaining why he deserved the scholarship. He said it took a few takes, explaining that his lips tense up when he is under pressure.

His aunt, Barbara Connolly, said she has been inspired by her nephew’s work ethic and efforts to help himself and help his family.

“With his disability, the strength in this kid is amazing,” she said.

Matt said his parents have driven him to work hard and set big goals, even having his 14-year-old sister, Katie, film a video on her iPod for a national scholarship contest.

“Over the years, they’ve showed how much it actually takes to keep going,” he said. “Just because you have a disability, it can’t stop you from doing what you want to do.”

Contact the writer:

rbrown@timesshamrock.com, @rbrownTT on Twitter

To vote for Matt

To vote for Matt, visit the UTI Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/UTI/timeline, https://www.facebook.com/UTI/app_380544765399431

After liking the page, click vote on Matt’s video. One vote is allowed per Facebook account and voting will remain open until Saturday, July 12.

To learn more about the scholarship, visit:

http://bit.ly/1vLT0nA

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